California is always cited as an example as a pioneer state in the development of renewable energies. But the states on the east coast have not said their last word. Renewable energy projects are multiplying on the East Coast. Several states are mobilizing and investing to green their electricity mix. The momentum of the new federal administration has been felt since the inauguration of Joe Biden. And even private partners are investing in clean energies.
New York State Turns to Solar Power
On April 22, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo invited the press to present an ambitious roadmap. New York State plans to deploy no less than twenty new renewable energy projects by the end of 2021. The new infrastructures will allow the state to rapidly increase the share of green energies in its electricity mix. These energy projects are the result of a partnership between public authorities and private investors. The state of New York has signed agreements with Goldman Sachs Renewable Power Group and CS Energy, two companies specializing in solar energy. In total, the two companies will participate to the tune of $ 1.5 billion in the financing of new projects.
Until now, solar power has not been a priority for New York State. The state had preferred to direct its investments towards other sources of low-carbon electricity. In 2020, its electricity mix was broken down as follows: 44% natural gas, 31% nuclear, 19% hydroelectricity, 3% wind, 1% coal and 1% solar energy.
But Governor Cuomo wants to diversify the sources of supply. And solar is for him a priority lever. It also plans to inaugurate around thirty new solar power plants by 2030. The most ambitious project is the floating solar power plant on Long Island. It is due to come into operation at the end of 2022 and will be the largest in the country, capable of supplying 50,000 homes with electricity.
The East Coast of the United States: Huge Potential for Offshore Wind Power
If the state of New York is moving towards solar energy, other states on the East Coast are now moving towards offshore wind. The Atlantic seafront has great potential for developing offshore wind farms. And projects have been multiplying for a few months. This momentum is strongly supported by the White House. The federal administration has just given its agreement, at the beginning of May, for the Vineyard Wind project.
This future offshore wind farm will be deployed off Massachusetts, on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. The Vineyard Wind project will install 84 offshore wind turbines, for a cumulative power of 800 MW. From 2023, it will provide green electricity to 400,000 homes on the coast. It will be the second offshore wind farm in the United States. The first is also deployed on the East Coast, off the state of Rhode Island.
Offshore wind: remote match between the east coast and the west coast
The White House has decided to make offshore wind a priority in the renewable energy sector. For the next ten years, the federal state will invest $ 12 billion each year to support offshore wind projects. This budget is to be shared between the West Coast and the East Coast. And the latter intends to capture most of the funding to ensure the realization of its next large-scale projects.
In addition to the future Vineyard Wind park, the East Coast is currently the scene of several important projects to develop offshore wind power. The state of Virginia has partnered with Dominion Energy to commission a park on the horizon. 2026. North Carolina, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland are also developing offshore wind projects. At present, the projects on the east coast are much more advanced than those mentioned on the west coast. But this lead may not last. The White House has just identified two areas in northern California to accommodate offshore wind farms.
Renewable energies on the East Coast: an electricity network to rethink
The United States divides its electric transport over three major national networks. The east coast depends on the interconnection of the east coast, which actually covers a very large region. This electrical network supplies almost 50% of the American territory. It goes back to Canadian territory to ensure part of its supply. And above all, it is the electrical network that serves the most delivery points, because of the high population density on the East Coast of the United States.
The East Coast should not only deploy new sources of green energy. It must also face the challenge of redeveloping its electricity network. A titanic project which involves the installation of storage units to manage intermittent energies.
The other next challenge will also be to deploy a low-carbon model that meets the constraints of large cities on the East Coast, such as New York. In these energy-intensive agglomerations, the local authorities want to give priority to local energy production projects. The state of New York has made it easier to regulate the installation of solar panels for individuals and businesses. The initiative seems to be bearing fruit. On May 26, the Starbucks company announced that it would invest $ 97 million to develop 23 solar projects in the state for the next few years. The solar panels will equip 24,000 premises: Starbucks cafes, but also small businesses, associations, schools and even churches.
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